It’s been a busy day in the National League Central, as the Chicago Cubs and their divisional rivals are scrambling to improve their rosters before the 3 p.m. MLB trade deadline.
The Cubs added another bench bat to their roster, acquiring Tony Kemp in a trade with the Houston Astros. In exchange, the Cubs sent back-up catcher Martin Maldonado to Houston after appearing in just four games with the organization.
In the final minutes before the deadline, the Cubs acquired outfielder Nick Castellanos from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for a pair of Single-A prospects. Castellanos has 11 home runs this season for the Tigers, and will look to give the team a boost against left-handed pitching, an area of concern for the club throughout the 2019 campaign.
Of the Cubs’ divisional rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers made the biggest splash on Wednesday, reportedly acquiring pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Ray Black from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for prospect Mauricio Dubon according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Pomeranz could potentially fill multiple roles for the Brewers, serving as a starter or a long reliever. He has struggled this season, with a 2-9 record and a 5.68 ERA in 21 appearances for San Francisco.
In two appearances with the Giants, Black posted a 4.50 ERA and allowed one earned run in two innings of work. He has spent most of the season with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, appearing in 23 games and posting a 5.16 ERA and a 1-0 record.
Dubon, the top prospect in the Brewers’ system, has hit 16 home runs and driven in 47 RBIs in 98 Triple-A games this season, and made his MLB debut with the Brewers earlier this season.
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According to multiple reports, the Brewers also sent first baseman Jesus Aguilar to the Tampa Bay Rays. Aguilar has eight home runs this season, but is batting just .225 with 34 RBIs in 222 at-bats.
In exchange, the Brewers acquired pitcher Jake Faria from the Rays. Faria has made seven big-league appearances this season, giving up three earned runs in 10 innings of work while striking out 11 batters.
The St. Louis Cardinals made a move as well, shipping infielder Jedd Gyorko to the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Gyorko is currently on the injured list and has appeared in 38 games this season, with two home runs and seven RBIs in 62 plate appearances.
The Pittsburgh Pirates also made a move, sending outfielder Corey Dickerson to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for a player to be named later and international bonus pool money, according to multiple reports.
The moves come a day after the Cincinnati Reds acquired starting pitcher Trevor Bauer in a three-team trade with the Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres. Bauer, who has a 9-8 record with a 3.79 ERA this season, is likely best known to Cubs fans as having taken the loss in two World Series games in 2016, including Game 5 when the Indians had the chance to finish Chicago off at Wrigley Field.
